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This study examines how news images of refugees in the context of the war in Ukraine mobilize intergroup relations. A visual rhetorical analysis is used to examine the rhetorical strategies employed in news images of Ukrainian refugees in a mainstream Finnish national newspaper from February 25 to May 31, 2022. The data consisted of 465 images. The study constructed four humanizing visual rhetorical strategies based on the visual expression in news images: maternalizing, fragilizing, agonizing, and activizing. The rhetorical strategies constructed four subject positions for Ukrainian refugees: vulnerable victims, innocent victims, suffering Ukrainians, and persistent/resilient Ukrainians. All rhetorical strategies implicitly communicated the subject position of evil to Russia. The paper contributes to the current knowledge of the humanization of refugees in media discourse and the potential of media images to mobilize intergroup relations. Methodologically, the paper elaborates visual rhetorical analysis as a means of social psychological study of refugee discourse in the context of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions on the body frequently foreground in empirical studies of social representations. However, there is scarce theoretical literature within social representations theory focusing on embodied social representation. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of embodied, sensory experiences as part of social representation. More precisely, it attempts to elaborate how individual, social, bodily, and material layers work together in embodied social representation. This paper approaches the topic from four viewpoints: (1) social representation as action, (2) phenomenology, (3) embodied and socially situated cognition, and (4) sensory epistemologies and sensescapes. These approaches are used to provide insight into the conscious and unconscious processes of social representation and the multimodality of social representation. The paper contributes to the understanding of the role of sensory experiences and embodiment in the theory of social representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possibilities of drawing as a method of researching social representations. The theory of social representations focuses on studying the forms, contents, and functions of socially shared common knowledge. In this paper, we (1) present the central premises of social representations theory, (2) elaborate drawing as a visual research method, and (3) synthesize how the drawing method may promote and diversify our understanding of social representations. We suggest that the drawing method is especially fruitful in the analysis of objectification process (how something abstract is made tangible); cognitive polyphasia (the idea of the simultaneous existence of diverse and contradicting social representations); and the different levels of analysis in which social representations become observable: ontogenesis (individual level), microgenesis (social interaction level), and sociogenesis (societal level). Through these insights, this paper advances the current understanding of the drawing method in qualitative social representations research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores how the polarized political discussion on climate change is used to construct as a humorous misogynist message in a Finnish far‐right political campaign video from 2021. Applying a multimodal analytical approach, the study explores the ways in which humor and irony are mobilized in the video through intertextual cues and verbal, visual, and sonic means to produce a dichotomy between "us"—the rational males who oppose strong measures against climate change—and "them," the irrational females, who propose them. The study contributes to political psychology, first by responding to the call for social and political psychologists to expand our knowledge of the production and spread of misogyny in online political communication; second, by showing the importance of studying intertextual and multimodal constructions of misogyny disguised as humor in political communication, and, finally, through demonstrating the utility of interdisciplinarity and multimodal analytic approaches in research on online political mobilization and persuasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membership categorization analysis focuses on studying how people categorize each other in interaction. Even though the role of observation has been acknowledged within this methodological approach, it has mainly been used to analyze oral and written communication. This study focuses on examining how membership categorization analysis can be applied to person perception. It elucidates the procedure with two examples where students in a vocational upper secondary college in Finland perceived portrait paintings and reflected in writing what kind of teachers the people depicted in them would be. Drawing on the theorization of person perception and membership categorization analysis, the study suggests a model for applying membership categorization analysis in person perception and discusses its relevance to social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines online misogynist discourse related to the Finnish prime minister (PM) Sanna Marin's image published in Trendi magazine in October 2020. The affective‐discursive analysis of online commentaries resulted in the identification of four affective‐discursive practices: an immoral woman, incompetent woman, calculating woman and inferior woman. Misogynist discourse related to the PM Marin took the form of a moral act, drew from stereotypical images of women as less rational than men, appeared as accusations targeted at Marin for playing the gender card as a political tactic, and constructed an image of Marin and female politicians as objects of men's sexual desires and as inferior to men. These affective‐discursive practices mobilized dehumanizing discourse ranging from milder forms of derogation, scorn and other‐condemning practices to harsher forms of belittlement, humiliation and animalistic dehumanization. This study contributes to the current knowledge on the affective‐discursive processes underlying online misogyny against female politicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how Otherness is constructed visually in newspaper photographs of the refugee crisis. This visual rhetoric analysis examines the form, content, and function of images and explores the rhetorical strategies deployed in visualizations of the refugee crisis in a mainstream Finnish national newspaper from 2015 to 2016. The data consisted of 1,473 images. The study identified six rhetorical strategies used for dehumanizing refugees: massifying, separating, passivating, demonizing, individualizing, and recontextualizing the Other. The rhetorical strategies in turn constructed four discourses related to refugees, namely those of threat and victimhood aimed at dehumanizing as well as personhood and distance aimed at humanizing the Other. The paper contributes to the current knowledge on dehumanization and humanization of refugees in public discourse by unpacking the subtle visual mechanisms through which these processes occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines newspaper photographs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Finland. Drawing on social representations theory and positioning theory, we explore social representations and identities related to COVID‐19 in mass media using a visual rhetoric analysis. More specifically, we focus on how newspaper photographs construct subjects' positions for different age groups. The data consisted of 4,506 photographs of people published in the two largest Finnish newspapers between 1 January and 31 August 2020. The study identified the following subject positions for the different age groups: (a) children as controlled pupils and joyful players; (b) youth as future‐oriented graduates and reckless partygoers; (c) adults as authoritative experts, adaptive professionals, responsible caretakers and active recreationists and (d) elderly people as isolated loners. In addition to echoing the positions of villains, heroes and victims identified in previous studies, the photographs seemed to construct an intergroup divide between adults and the other age groups. Methodologically, this study elaborates the usefulness of the analysis of visual rhetoric in social representations research. Theoretically, we seek to advance the understanding of the role of media, particularly images, in the social construction of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the mobilization of populist rhetoric of the 2019 Finns Party election video. By focusing on both the FP's election video (production) and Youtube users' comments (reception), we examine the constructions and uses of social categories and humour as well as responses to their rhetorical deployment among like‐minded supporters and opponents. The multimodal analysis of the production of a populist campaign video demonstrates the construction of social categories and humour through the five steps of collective hate. These humorous messages are differently received by like‐minded and opposing YouTube users. Two supportive affective–discursive practices – glorification and schadenfreude – both express shared joy and laughter, but while glorification emphasizes the positive self‐understanding of the in‐group, schadenfreude belittles the 'political Other'. Two opposing affective–discursive practices – irritation and scorn – place FP voters in subject positions of morally and intellectually inferior fascists, racists, and idiots. The populist message fosters expressions of social anger and polarization between FP supporters and opponents. Humour entangled with hatred encourages a sense of moral superiority in both groups. This study contributes to the current knowledge of mobilizing populist rhetoric and polarization, and responds to the call to broaden analysis of political communication in the field of multimodality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how students categorize teachers based on visual cues. The research drew on theories of social representations, social perception, and social categorization to study how students perceive and interpret teachers' nonverbal communication. At a Finnish vocational college for culture studies, 17 paintings depicting a variety of people were shown to 65 students, who reflected on them as pictures of teachers. The data were analyzed applying membership categorization analysis. Five categories of teachers emerged from the data. The results show that students make inferences about teachers' approachability and competence based on their visual cues, which might have implications for classroom management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately one third of thromboembolic (TE) events are related to obesity, but to which extent elevated body mass index (BMI) during the distinct periods of childhood and puberty contributes is not known. We aimed to evaluate the impact of high BMI during childhood and puberty for the risk of adult venous and arterial thromboembolic events (VTE, ATE, respectively) in men. Methods: We included 37,672 men from the BMI Epidemiology Study (BEST) Gothenburg with data on weight and height in childhood, young adult age, and on pubertal BMI change. Information on outcomes (VTE [n = 1683], ATE [n = 144], or any first TE event [VTE or ATE; n = 1780]) was retrieved from Swedish national registers. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by Cox regressions. Results: Both BMI at 8 years of age and the pubertal BMI change were associated with VTE, independently of each other (BMI at 8: HR 1.06 per standard deviation [SD] increase, 95% CI, 1.01;1.11; pubertal BMI change: HR 1.11 per SD increase, 95% CI, 1.06;1.16). Individuals with normal weight during childhood followed by young adult overweight (HR 1.40, 95% CI, 1.15;1.72), and individuals with overweight at both childhood and young adult age (HR 1.48, 95% CI, 1.14;1.92), had a significantly increased risk of VTE in adult life, compared with the normal weight reference group. Individuals with overweight in childhood and in young adult age had increased risk of ATE and TE. Conclusion: Young adult overweight was a strong determinant, and childhood overweight a moderate determinant, of the risk of VTE in adult men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prescription of melatonin to children and adolescents has increased dramatically in Sweden and internationally during the last ten years. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the prescribed melatonin dose in relation to body weight and age in children. The population-based BMI Epidemiology Study Gothenburg cohort has weight available from school health care records, and information on melatonin prescription through linkage with high-quality national registers. We included prescriptions of melatonin to individuals below 18 years of age where a weight measurement not earlier than three months before, or later than six months after the dispensing date, was available (n = 1554). Similar maximum doses were prescribed to individuals with overweight orobesity as to individuals with normal weight, and to individuals below and above 9 years of age. Age and weight only explained a marginal part of the variance in maximum dose, but were inversely associated and explained a substantial part of the variance in maximum dose per kg. As a result, individuals overweight or with obesity, or age above 9 years, received lower maximum dose per kg of body weight, compared with individuals with normal weight or below 9 years of age. Thus, the prescribed melatonin dose to individuals under 18 years of age is not primarily informed by body weight or age, resulting in substantial differences in prescribed dose per kg of body weight across BMI and age distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In a population-based dataset, 2.0% of patients with COVID-19 had post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). • The cumulative incidence was higher among women than men (2.3% vs 1.6%). • Among hospitalized (intensive care) patients with COVID-19 (n = 2509), 36.9% had PCC. • Among non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 478,241), 1.5% had PCC. • Compared with patients without PCC, patients with PCC were older and had a tertiary education. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive characterization of patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) during the first 16 months of use of the International Classification of Diseases revision 10 (ICD-10) diagnosis code U09.9 in Sweden. We used data from national registers and primary health care databases for all adult inhabitants of the two largest regions in Sweden, comprising 4.1 million inhabitants (approximately 40% of the Swedish population). We present the cumulative incidence and incidence rate of PCC overall and among subgroups and describe patients with COVID-19 with or without PCC regarding sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, subsequent diseases, COVID-19 severity, and virus variants. Of all registered COVID-19 cases available for PCC diagnosis (n = 506,107), 2.0% (n = 10,196) had been diagnosed with PCC using ICD-10 code U09.9 as of February 15, 2022 in the two largest regions in Sweden. The cumulative incidence was higher among women than men (2.3% vs 1.6%, P <0.001). The majority of PCC cases (n = 7162, 70.2%) had not been hospitalized for COVID-19. This group was more commonly female (69.9% vs 52.9%, P <0.001), had a tertiary education (51.0% vs 44.1%, P <0.001), and was older (median age difference 5.7 years, P <0.001) than non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 without PCC. This characterization furthers the understanding of patients diagnosed with PCC and could support policy makers with appropriate societal and health care resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Men's pubertal timing lacks distinct markers that are easily available retrospectively. Therefore, the association between objectively assessed pubertal timing and the risk of prostate cancer is unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the association between the age at the pubertal growth spurt, an objective assessment of pubertal timing, and the risk of prostate cancer and high-risk prostate cancer. We used a population-based cohort including over 30,000 men with age at the pubertal growth spurt available and with follow-up in high quality national registers. During 1.4 million years of follow up, 1759 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. We demonstrate that late pubertal timing is a protective factor for prostate cancer, and especially for the clinically important high-risk or metastatic prostate cancer. Identification of early life risk- and protective factors for prostate cancer could provide new opportunities to unravel the underlying biological mechanism of the origins of prostate cancer. Previous studies of pubertal timing and the risk of prostate cancer have used self-reported markers of pubertal development, recalled in mid-life, and the results have been inconclusive. Our aim was to evaluate the age at the pubertal growth spurt, an objective marker of pubertal timing, and the risk of prostate cancer and high-risk prostate cancer. This population-based cohort study included 31,971 men with sufficient height measurements to calculate age at peak height velocity (PHV). Outcomes were accessed through national registers. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by Cox regressions with follow up starting at 20 years of age. In total, 1759 cases of prostate cancer including 449 high-risk were diagnosed during follow up. Mean follow up was 42 years (standard deviation 10.0). Compared to quintiles 2–4 (Q2–4), men in the highest age at PHV quintile (Q5) had lower risk of prostate cancer (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.73–0.94), and of high-risk prostate cancer (0.73; 0.56–0.94). In an exploratory analysis with follow up starting at age at PHV, late pubertal timing was no longer associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer. Later pubertal timing was associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer and especially high-risk prostate cancer. We propose that the risk of prostate cancer might be influenced by the number of years with exposure to adult levels of sex steroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to present prevalence data for overweight and obesity across school age in a large, recent, population‐based cohort of children in Gothenburg, Sweden. Methods: We included 66,807 children (48.5% girls) aged 5–18.9 years who had their height and weight measured in school health care 2015–2018. The BMI values were categorised according to the age‐dependent cut‐offs for overweight and obesity from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). Results: Overall, the prevalence of overweight and obesity for girls and boys was 18.1% and 18.0%, respectively. We observed increasing proportions of overweight (girls 11.5–17.1% and boys 8.4–17.4%) and obesity (girls 3.0–4.2% and boys 2.7–6.1%) with increasing age (p < 0.001 for trend in both sexes). Moreover, girls had higher prevalence of overweight during ages 5.0 to 8.9 years compared with boys (p < 0.001), while boys had higher prevalence of obesity 15.0–18.9 years compared with girls (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, we demonstrate increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity across the entire school age range, as well as differences in prevalences between boys and girls, in a population‐based sample of 67,000 children in Gothenburg city, Sweden. Continuous monitoring of schoolchildren, together with effective preventive measures, is crucial to curb the obesity epidemic and its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that a high body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to assess whether a high BMI affects the risk of death or prolonged length of stay (LOS) in patients with COVID-19 during intensive care in Sweden. Methods and findings: In this observational, register-based study, we included patients with COVID-19 from the Swedish Intensive Care Registry admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Sweden. Outcomes assessed were death during intensive care and ICU LOS ≥14 days. We used logistic regression models to evaluate the association (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) between BMI and the outcomes. Valid weight and height information could be retrieved in 1,649 patients (1,227 (74.4%) males) with COVID-19. We found a significant association between BMI and the risk of the composite outcome death or LOS ≥14 days in survivors (OR per standard deviation [SD] increase 1.30, 95%CI 1.16–1.44, adjusted for sex, age and comorbidities), and this association remained after further adjustment for severity of illness (simplified acute physiology score; SAPS3) at ICU admission (OR 1.30 per SD, 95%CI 1.17–1.45). Individuals with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 had a doubled risk of the composite outcome. A high BMI was also associated with death during intensive care and a prolonged LOS in survivors assessed as separate outcomes. The main limitations were the restriction to the first wave of the pandemic, and the lack of information on socioeconomic status as well as smoking. Conclusions: In this large cohort of Swedish ICU patients with COVID-19, a high BMI was associated with increasing risk of death and prolonged length of stay in the ICU. Based on our findings, we suggest that individuals with obesity should be more closely monitored when hospitalized for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of pubertal BMI change in adult‐onset concomitant asthma and allergic rhinitis is unknown. Objective: We investigated the association of childhood and young adult BMI, and pubertal BMI changes with adult‐onset asthma, allergic rhinitis, and concomitant asthma and rhinitis in Swedish men. Methods: The BMI Epidemiology Study in Gothenburg, Sweden, comprised of height and weight measures taken from school health records (6.5‐9.5 years) and during military conscription (17.5‐22 years) for all men born 1945‐1961 (n = 37 652). Age‐adjusted childhood BMI centred at 8 years and young adult BMI at 20 years were linked to high quality data on asthma and allergic rhinitis diagnoses from the Swedish National Patient Register. Findings: High BMI (4th quartile vs the two median quartiles) at 8 years was associated with increased risk of concomitant asthma and allergic rhinitis (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.00‐2.11). Overweight (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.12‐1.89) and obesity (HR 1.95; 95% CI 1.08‐3.54) at 20 years were associated with increased risk of asthma without concomitant allergic rhinitis as main or auxiliary diagnosis. Pubertal BMI change showed a non‐linear association, so that both low (1st quartile vs the two median quartiles) and high pubertal BMI changes were associated with increased risk of asthma (low: HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.11‐1.68; high: HR 1.32; 95% CI 1.07‐1.63) and asthma without concomitant allergic rhinitis (low: HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.04‐1.69; high: HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.07‐1.74) as a main diagnosis. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Both low and high pubertal BMI changes are predictors of adult‐onset asthma in men, particularly asthma without concomitant allergic rhinitis. Primary prevention of adult‐onset asthma requires monitoring of changes in BMI during puberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]